In a tactical environment or situation or training or sporting activity the need of the operator, soldier, law enforcement officer, civilian sportsman or other user to carry various gear on one's person, in support of the mission or activity is always present. As such users are continually searching for improved methods and items to carry their gear. Such improvements often include features that increase the amount of gear being carried through a more efficient use of space, modularity in using and arranging such gear specific to a user's needs and improved accessibility to said gear while maintaining a reasonable (and sometimes adjustable) level of security in carrying such items. These items include but are not limited to: rifle magazines, pistol magazines, ammunition, radios, flashlights, batons, handcuffs, flash bangs, hand grenades, batteries, scopes or other aiming devises, or any other items as may be considered useful for their task. Additionally, users seek durability in such carry pouches as their need is essential and their operating locations are often remote.
Devices for the retention and securing of tactical gear are known in the prior art and generally have a pouch having an upward-oriented opening a flap mechanism that obstructs the upward-oriented opening when the flap mechanism is engaged and closed, means for fastening the flap mechanism in a closed position and means of attachment whereby the pouch is either an integrated feature of the clothing of a user or may be otherwise attached to the clothing or accessories worn by a user. These devices are limited in that they slow down access to stored gear. While the flap keeps the gear from falling out of the pouch, it keeps the user from quickly and efficiently removing the gear from the pouch. For example, when the pouch is used to store an ammunition magazine, the flap must first be unfastened and restrained to access the magazine contained within the pouch. This causes a delay when trying to negotiate the flap mechanism, which can be the difference between life and death for a user in a combat situation.
Also known in the prior art are devices for the retention and securing of gear wherein the pouch has an upward oriented opening but no flap mechanism. In these instances, the pouch dimensions must match the dimensions of the gear to provide a tight fit for the gear by virtue of the force of friction between the interior of the pouch and the gear it contains. By tailoring the pouch to ensure a tight fit for a specific gear, the pouch lacks the ability to securely retain and store gear of varying shapes and sizes. Each pouch tends to be designed for a particular size and shape of gear and, therefore, a single user may need to acquire several of these devices in varying sizes and designs to effectively secure, store and retain a variety of gear, such as various shapes and sizes of magazine ammunition.
Other pouch systems designed to carry ammunition magazines, or other similar size items are sometimes constructed as a simple soft fabric, sewn bag or pouch. Since these devices are loose and offer no retention on the items carried, retention straps or flaps as described above are required to retain the carried items securely in the pouch. Additionally, insertion of items into the pouch is often difficult as snagging against the floppy edges of the pouch opening interferes with the smooth reception of the items to be carried.
There is also simple soft fabric, sewn pouches with some elastic quality, which are generally sewn bags that compress against the item being carried and offer some retentive qualities. However, once the item is removed from the pouch the pouch collapses on itself and insertion of another item or reinsertion of the carry item is difficult.
Another known device is a molded, polymer loose fitting pouch or box, which offer space to carry an item, or a small range of similarly sized items, but with no retentive qualities. As such they also require retention straps or flaps to securely retain the carry items as described above.
There are also molded, form fitted polymer precision fitting pouches that are shaped to fit specific items only, with an extremely limited range of what can be carried. Some such pouches allow for a range of tension adjustment to aid in retention and security of the item carried, however, such is limited to only those specific items the pouch is formed to fit.
As such, there is a need for a device to hold a wide range of sized and shaped items that can be inserted into the device with a high level of retention and security for each without straps or flaps. There is also a need for a device that that both securely holds gear of various shapes and sizes but does not hinder the user in accessing the gear by having to open and restrain a flap that covers the opening for insertion of gear.
While there are variable types of compression pouches known in the prior art, the present invention has various advantages and improvements that are not known or described in the prior art.